Malnutrition in the OIC Member
Countries: A Trap for Poverty
poor adherence to supplementation due to side effects]. It also established a goal of virtually
eliminating iron deficiency diseases by 2000, and many agencies, donors, and the salt industry
took to this challenge. In 1991 the conference “Ending Hidden Hunger” helped strengthen
micronutrient programming, and in 1993 the Micronutrient Initiative was formed. Overall,
micronutrient control programs achieved considerable success during the 1990s: by the end of
the decade, 60% of developing-country households were using iodized salt and 30% of
children were receiving vitamin A capsules twice a year (Quinn, 1994].
In recent decades, the international nutrition community has been split between “emergency”
nutritionists, who focus predominantly on treating malnutrition due to acute or recurring
emergencies through various medical models, and “development” nutritionists, who focus on
preventing malnutrition by addressing its more basic social, economic, and political drivers
(Gillespie and Harris, 2016].
1.2. Global Targets
Over the past four decades, the UN, through its various bodies, has played a key role in
drawing attention to global nutrition challenges, brokering agreements and convening role
players, developing normative guidelines, analytical tools and monitoring trends in nutritional
status; and providing technical assistance and direct programming support at country level.
Changes in the broader development landscape, a larger and diverse set of role players in the
field of nutrition, complex emerging nutrition challenges and a large number of humanitarian
crises, pose significant challenges, and create an opportunity to reposition the UN, to ensure
that it is 'fit for purpose,' and can make the best possible contribution to realizing the goal of a
world free of all forms of malnutrition. Box 1 below gives an overview on the core principles
upon which the UN's interagency work is based.
Box 1: 10 Core Principles of the UN's Interagency Work on Nutrition
1. Nutrition is a pervasive development issue requiring action across the globe
2. Multiple forms of malnutrition are interrelated and co-occur in a large number of countries
3. Nutrition is a multi-sectoral issue
4. Food system change is fundamental to addressing nutrition challenges
5. Health system strengthening is essential to achieve nutrition goals
6. Good nutrition also requires, and is necessary for, functioning education systems, social
protection, and efforts to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality
7. The UNis steered by a Human Rights-Based approach to nutrition
8. UNnutrition activities are informed by a commitment to gender rights
9. The UN acts in support of country priorities. Local adaptation of strategies is needed,
according to varying country nutrition situations
10. The UN System is one role player among several, playing unique convening, networking,
brokering, and technical support roles
Source: McLachlan, 2015
Malnutrition and the MDGs
The global mobilization behind the Millennium Development Goals has produced the most
successful anti-poverty movement in history. It generated new and innovative partnerships,
galvanized public opinion, reshaped decision-making in developed and developing countries
9